Easy Pizza in a Pinch
- PREP:
- 20 minutes
- COOK:
- 10 minutes
- TOTAL:
- 30 minutes
- SERVES:
- 8-12
Get all the flavor of pizza – without the hassle of making or buying pizza dough. You can split the hot dog buns in half along the fold to make appetizer-size portions, or you can leave the buns whole for minipizzas. These come together quickly – a bonus when time is short.
Get all the flavor of pizza – without the hassle of making or buying pizza dough. You can split the hot dog buns in half along the fold to make appetizer-size portions, or you can leave the buns whole for minipizzas. These come together quickly – a bonus when time is short.
Ingredients
- 8 Ball Park® Hot Dog Buns
- 2 cups plain canned tomato sauce
- 3 teaspoons garlic granules
- 3 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage, crumbled, cooked and drained on paper towels
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
- 1/2 pound pepperoni slices
- 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh oregano sprigs, optional
- Crushed red pepper, optional
Instructions
- To make the sauce, combine tomato sauce, garlic, herbs, paprika, salt and pepper in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
- When sauce bubbles, reduce to a low simmer and stir. Cover and allow to simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.
- Crumble Italian sausage in a pan and cook over medium heat until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain over paper towels. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix olive oil, garlic and herb blend in a small bowl.
- Open hot dog buns and arrange on sheet pans covered in foil.
- Separate buns in halves along the folds if you want to make 16 appetizers; leave whole if you want to make 8 pizzas.
- Brush the buns with the olive oil mixture.
- Toast buns in the oven for about 5 minutes, just until edges begin to brown.
- Remove pan from oven and spread each of the buns with the warm tomato sauce.
- Top with browned Italian sausage, pepperoni slices, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- Return pan to the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling.
- Serve garnished with fresh oregano leaves and crushed red pepper, if desired.